Wetherby man 'Boyz' receives much-deserved praise
Tuesday 05th June, 2018
A popular Wetherby worker with a ‘serious aura about him’ has been praised by a former colleague all the way from New Zealand.
Mthandazo Bafana, known affectionately as ‘Boyz’, who is Prep Team Leader at the Wetherby Whaler branch in the town, was recently nominated by Fry Magazine as one of its ‘unsung heroes’.
Boyz, 60, who is from South Africa and who has worked with the company for 12 years, has become well-known to locals as he regularly undertakes his own litter pick throughout the town, in addition to his potato prepping duties and making his famous mushy peas!
After hearing about the accolade, Thomas Meyrick, a former colleague, who moved to the area a few years ago to play cricket for Shadwell Cricket Club, got in touch with the publication to express his best wishes to Boyz.
In an email to Fry Magazine, Thomas said: “It was with great pleasure to stumble across the article about Mthandazo Bafana (Boyz) on Facebook. A few years ago I moved to England to play some cricket over New Zealand’s colder months and managed to gain a job at the Wetherby Whaler. All the people were amazing but none more so than our man Boyz.
“The man has a serious Aura about him. He took me under his wing and made me feel very welcome and comfortable in a place that most definitely was far from the norm for me. Everybody has nothing but respect for the guy and he brings a real joy to the workplace. Not one day did I not see a smile on his face and not one day did I see him complain.
“This man deserves the award and everything that goes with it. He truly was one of the kindest people I met on my tours. I mean the man’s mushy peas are heavenly!”
Caroline Murphy, Director of Wetherby Whaler, said: “It’s fantastic that the news about Boyz has travelled so far! Thomas’ kind words hit the mark, as Boyz is such a hardworking, honest and reliable character. We pride ourselves on delivering excellent customer service across the Group, and our team work incredibly hard day in day out in out to ensure an all-round customer experience.
“We are proud of Boyz’s achievement, which was fully deserved.”